Gwire



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. W. MCGGWIRB. LIFE BOAT.

No. 602,912. PatentedApr. 26, 1898.

UNITED- STATES PATENT WILLIAM lVALTER MCCGWIRE, OF 4DUNGKARVAN, IRELAND.

LIFE-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 602,912, dated April26, 1898.

Application filed August 6, 1 8 9 7.

.To wZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILLIAM WALTER Moo- GWIRE, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at Dun garvan, in the county of Waterford,Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boatsand other Vessels, of which the following is a specification. f

My invention relates to life-boats and other vessels and comprises theimprovements hereinafter set forth.

My said invention consists in the construction of a life-boat, either ofwood or metal, which cannot be sunk or capsized under any circumstancesand which may be driven either upon or against rocks, a ships side, orother obstructions Without suffering any material injury from the impactresulting therefrom;

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side View, partly in verticallongitudinal central section; and Fig. 2Iis a transverse section on theline e a', Fig. 1, showing my improved life-boat.

Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

0, is the hull of the boat, which is preferably built amidships, thecentral third, or thereabout, in the shape, or approximately so, of anequilateral triangle, the keel a' being placed in the center of the baseand the said hull inclosed or surrounded by an open metal cage or frameb, covered wholly or in part by wire-netting or equivalent material c.This protecting cage or frame and network covering rises considerablyabove the waterline, andthe said cage is attached to the hull c bystrong metal or other arms d d. I also preferably secure one or morescreens e e, of wire or other netting, to the upper portions of theabove cage to break the force of the waves. To the outer edge of thedoor of this cage and along a part of its extent I secure weights f toact as ballast, thereby rendering it necessary to carry little, if any,ballast within the interior of the boat. This ballast, carried outsidethe hull,will be seen to serve not only as steadying-weights, but alsoas levers acting on the center of gravity as a fulcrum.

The arms projecting from either side of the keel and which form thefloor of the cage surrounding the hull will represent, in fact, a

Serial No. 647,373. (No model.)

series of double levers having as their fulcrum-point the center ofgravity immediately above the keel of the boat, and to this keel thesaid arms are securely attached.

g g are collapsible floats or air-bags which rest upon an open nettingg', which netting is secured at or near the water-line in the space orclearance left between the cage b and the hull a of the boat. The iioatsare suitably secured in the position shown, and, furthermore, may beinclosed in metal, Wire, or other cages, and any suitable number may beplaced on each side, as also fore and aft. The floats g are so arranged,moreover, that they can be readily iniiated from a reservoir ofcompressed air or other means placed within the boat and by means ofair-pumps or other methods likewise be deliated at will. I preferably soiniiate the said iloats that the Walls thereof will be loose.

h is a loose netting upon which any person may jump from a vessel orother height. The

deck is arched.

The collapsible floats may be inflated to any desired degree, and thoseon one side need not be equally inflated with those on the other. Thuswhen inflated on one side they may serve as a means for varying thevalue of the lever-Weights amidships by the displacement of water theyoccasion on the boat heeling over to one-say the lee-side. The iioats onthe other-that is, the weather-side would then be deflated and furled uplike a ships sails.

My improved life-boat may be driven by means of a compressed air engineil; but steam, electricity, or any other suitable source of energy maybe used instead. The engine or motor t' is preferably connected througha crank j to a shaft j, running from end to end of the boat and having ascrew-propeller 7c at each end thereof-that is to say, one situated atthe bow and the other at the stern of the boat.

lis the engine-room, which is situated amidships or which may be locatedslightly astern or in any other suitable position.

'm m are water-tight compartments situated fore and aft, whichcompartments may, when desired, be used as cabins and receive thenecessary supply of air through wind-sails n, passing up through themain deck o, arched IOO deck o', and the spar-deckp, and terminating incowls n', which are preferably fitted with valves to prevent the passageof any water therethrough in the case of the boatl being dropped intothe sea from a ships deck or other place. Z is a similar wind-sailfitted with a cowl Z2 for admitting air to the engineroom Z.

q is a cabin fitted with an air-tight door q' and located above theforward water-tight compartment m.

fr r are ladders or steps for admitting of access to the spar-deck 29,and s is anothery ladder or steps affording means of communicationbetween the main deck p and the engine-room Zand the water-tightcompartments lm, which latter may be entered through airtight doors m'm'.

t t are the rudders, one of which is located at each end of the boat,both being used together, or, in case of accident or the like, that onenot available maybe firmly secured in position by lashing or otherwise.

u is the steering-wheel, which is situated upon the spar-deck and isconnected to the rudder inuse by means of cords, wires, or chains '0,running over guide-rollers fw.

@c is a fender or guard which runs completely around the protectingframe or cage b. Suitable gangways extend at convenient points betweenthe spar-deck and the cage.

It is obvious that a portion or all of the above improvements may beapplied to any Steamers or other vessels or to light-ships or the like.

Instead of two screw-propellers, as above described, I may provide fourscrew-propellers mounted upon two parallel shafts, in which case two ofthe said screw-propellers would operate at the bow and two at the stern,one on each side of the center line of the boat. In order, moreover, tobreak the force of the waves impinging upon the floats g, I may in somecases surround or incase them with one or more belts of wire-netting orthe like situated at a certain distance therefrom and having, when morethan one are employed, meshes of varying gages, the belts with thesmaller gages in\such a case being placed nearest to the said floats.

It is evident that the internal arrangements and the details ofconstruction of my im proved boat or vessel may be considerably modifiedor varied without departing from the scope of my invention.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. In a life-boat or other vessel the combination of a hull ot'approximately triangular form in transverse section amidships, aprotecting cage or frame inclosing or surrounding said hull, andballast-weights outside said hull and located at the outer or extremeedge of the floor or base of said cage, substantially as set forth.

2. In a life-boat or other vessel, the combination, with the hull, of aprotecting cage or frame, netting covering said frame at and above thewater-line, ballast-weights outside said hull and located at the outeror extreme edge of the door or base of said cage amidships orythereabout, and floats or air-bags at or above the normal water-line andlying between said hull and said cage, around the hull, substantially asset forth.

3.- In a life-boat or other vessel, the combination, with the hull, of aprotecting cage or frame, ballast-weights outside said hull and locatedat the outer or extreme edge of the licor or base of said cage, floatsor air-bags at or above the normal water-line and lying between saidhulland said cage, and netting covering the sides of said frame andextending from such sides to the hull at or near the water-linesubstantially as set forth.

4t. In alife-boat or other vessel, the combination, with the hull, of aprotecting cage or frame, ballast-Weights outside said hull and locatedat the outer or extreme edge-of the floor or base of said cage amidshipsor thereabout, floats or air-bags at or above the normal Water-line andlying between said hull and said cage, around the hull, means forretaining said floats in position, and a iexible netting serving as ameans to catch a person endeavoring to reach said vessel from a heightor otherwise, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination, a vessel having its hull, ata point amidships,approximately triangular in transverse section the apex portion beinguppermost, a protecting cage or frame inclosing or surrounding saidhull, ballast- Weights outside said hull and located at the outer orextreme edge of the oor or base of said hull, netting covering saidframe at and above the water-line, floats or air-bags retained betweensaid hull and said cage at or about the normal water-line, means forvarying the value of the lever-weights amidships by inflation ordeflation of air-floats, and means for propelling said vessel.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM WALTER MCCGWIRE.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR F. SPooNnR, THOMAS G. DAKIN.

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